Cube tap



y ,1 3. w. HERMAN 2,318, 84

CUBE TAP Filed Feb. 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- May 4, 1943. w. P. HERMANCUBE TAP Filed Feb. 17, 1941 m um i INVENT meg 1 BY M 161? ATTORNEY 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 4, 1943 UNlTED STATE ENT .0FFICE 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to electrical multiple service tap devices,and has particular reference to a novel cube tap construction and anovel method of assembly of the parts thereof.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a cube tap havingan integral one-piece resilient body.

It is an additonal object of my invention to provide a cube tap in whichthe contact prongs may be assembled without use of screws or similaranchoring means.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel cube tap and anovel method for mounting the contact prong in the tap, and anchoringthe prong in the tap in electrical and mechanical interlockingengagement.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cube tap in which theslots are so arranged that all the outlets can be used simultaneouslywithout interference from adjacent plugs or taps in the wall receptacle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cube tap in which thebody of the tan is shaped to eliminate danger of arcing.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a cube tap whichutilizes the resiliency of the rubber body to ensure the desiredcontacting engagement of the cooperating prongs.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, myinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts and a novel method ofassembly more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularlydefined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a cube tap embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the same; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section takenalong line 4-4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along line 5-5 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken along line 66 on Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of another form ofmy invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the vertical contact prongs;

Fig, 9 is a perspective view of one of the trans verse contact prongs;and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the vertical prongs for the formshown in Fig. 7.

The present application constitutes an improvement over the type ofmultiple service tap shown in my Patent No. 2,210,215, dated August 6,1940. These multiple service taps, conventionally referred to as cubetaps, are designed to provide three additional places for insertingelectrical contact plugs into a wall receptacle. The taps are usually invarious forms, one form for example having three contact portions and anexposed set of contact blades for insertion into the wall receptacle,another form having three contact portions and one side fixed to alength of cord lead wire, so that an extension plug is provided whichcan be plugged into the wall and provides three outlets at a distancefrom the wall receptacle. Furthermore, in the conventional cube tap, thevertical and transverse blades are in the same plane, so that if twocube taps are in simultaneous use in a conventional wall receptacle, thelower contacting portion of the upper tap and the upper contactingportion of the lower tap will be so close to each other that they couldnot be used. To eliminate this difiiculty I have provided a novelconstruction of cube tap in which the transverse and vertical blades arein different planes, so that every outlet provided by the cube tap canbe utilized no matter how close to another contact plug or cube tap itis placed in the wall receptacle.

To this end I provide a cube tap ill having a body portion I I which maybe of any suitable material, but is preferably molded in one piece ofresilient rubber. The body portion l lcomprises outlet portions l2, l3,l4 and [5, the outlet portions l2 and M being positioned transversely onopposite sides of the cube tap, and the outlet portions I3 and 15 beingpositioned vertically on opposite sides of the tap as shown in Figs. 1to 3 inclusive.

The portions l2 and M are joined by transverse flat slots I6 and I1extending through the plug body in spaced vertical parallel relation, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4. The vertical portions l3 and I5 are joined byflat slots 18 and IS in spaced vertical parallel relation, extendingthrough the plug body in a plane at right angles to the slots l6 and I!as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Referring to Fig. 4, the slots l6 and I! areeach provided, adjacent the surface of the plug body H, with restrictedslot exit portions 20, which are adapted to frictionally engage theinserted contact plugs and to act as a snuffer against arcing when thecontact plugs are withdrawn from the cube tap body. Each of the slots l6and I1 is provided adjacent its center portion with abutments 2iintegral with the plug body and extending inwardly transversely of theslots,

and adapted to maintain the contact blades in proper position within theslots. The slot I6 is provided with recesses 22 adjacent each end of theslot and adapted to receive the ends of the contact blades and anintermediate recess 23, which extends towards and communicates with thevertical slot 19. Similarly, the slot [1 is provided with recesses 24adjacent each end adapted to receive the ends of the contact bladetherein, and an intermediate recess 25 which extends towards andcommunicates with the vertical slot [8.

Each of the slots l6 and I1 is provided witha contact blade 26 such asshown in Fig.- 9. The contact blade 26 is provided with inturned ends 2!and an intermediate ben-t'portion'28;

which is bent in the same direction as the --ends 21 and approximatelyto the same depth. The

bent portion 28 may be provided with oppositely disposed cut-out slots29. fora purpose .hereinafter to be described. Th'e'contact blades26'.are positioned in the slots l6. and. IT as sh'ownin Fig. 4, with theabutments. 2 l in.each slot maintaining the blade againstthe oppositeslot wall with the ends 21 extending. into. the recesses 22 and 24, andthe inwardly extending. portions 28 extending into the. recesses 23 and-25'. By stamping the blades 2Bin.th'e manner shown in Fig.-9', theblades: for the slots I6 and "are interchangeable.

The vertical slots I8 and I9 are designed, in the form illustrated inFigs. 1 to 6. inclusive, to retain an elongated bladewhich will.protrude from the bottom end'of the plug body, ,as shown in Fig. 1,.toform'externalcontact portions tobe inserted into conventional wallreceptacles. The slots l8 and IS are providediwitlirestricted exitportions 30' at their upper ends for frictionally engaging, the insertedcontact blades in.a manner similar to the portions Zfliin the slots l6.and H, and 'to prevent" arcing or short-circuiting. Adjacent the upperends of the slots l8" and [9 are recesses 3| adapted to receive ahentportion of the contact blade, and one edge wall" portion of the slot. l9communicates with the portion 23 in the slot I6, and the opposite edgewalllportion of the slot l8 communicateswith the portion 25 in theslot.I'l'.

Positioned in the slots l8 and l9are contact blades 32, shown inFig.18'. Each blade 32 comprises an outwardly extending contact portion33 which maybe of the spring; blade type illustrated, in which a portionof the blade is reentrantly bent upon the face of the blade andarcuately'shaped to provide a spring action contact. The upper ends 34of. theblades are offset, as shown in Fig. 8, and are provided adjacentone edge with struck-up lugs or tangs 35', and the upper ends of theblades are bent inwardly, as at 35. When the blades 32 are positioned inthe slots l8 and I9, as shown in Figs. land 6, the upper bent portions36 enter into the, recesses 3|, the contact portions. 33 extend from thelower end of the slots, and the intermediate portions 34 are sopositioned that the struck-up. lugs 35 extend into the recesses 23 and25 of the slots 15. and H, the lugs 35 engaging the slots 2.9 in theblade 26 and locking therewith inmechanical andelectrical engagement.

It can thus be readily seen that the. blades will be locked inmechanical andjelectrical' engagement in the slots, with the edge of theblade in the slot l9 interlocking with the face of the blade in the slotl6, and the edgev of the blade in the slot l3 interlocking with the faceof the blade in the slot IT. The upper offset portion of the blade 34leaves room in the slot for the insertion of a conventional contactblade in alignment with the outer contact portion 33 without distortion.

In assembly, the blades 26 are first inserted into the slots [6 and I1,either by hand or by other suitable means, and then the longer blades 32are pulled or pushed into the slots l8 and I9, either by hand or bymachine until the blades interlock.

It can thus be readily seen that when the cube tap hereinabove describedis pushed into a conventional wall receptacle the transverse contactportions [2 and M will extend laterally from the wall receptacle; sothat if a second cube tap or conventional-contact plug is positioned inthe samewall receptacle, the various cube tap openings will be free frominterference.

Thecubetap of the present invention is simple in construction andeasy-,andeconomical to man ufacture and assemble, having aminimum-number of parts. The body is made in one, integralconstructionof softrubber, and the various contact blades are retainedin position without the use of screws or other types of additionalanchoringmeans.

The construction hereinabove describedmay readily be applied to othertypes ofmultiple'pole receptacles such as shown in Fig. '7, in which acord lead wire maybe substitutedfon one of the outlet. portions. Inthisform, the plug. body. 31 comprises three; outlet portions 38, 39. and 40and a cord. receiving portion M. The portion-M is preferably conically,shaped: andgcomprises a cord opening 42- anda recess 43,- into which anintegral baifie, 44 extendsto divide-therecess 43 into.two separatechannels. divergingtowards the vertical slot portion. The blades 45-which extend into the vertical slotin thisform are illustrated in Fig.10. Each blade issimilar to the blade 32 except thatit has 'noextendedconta ct portion, as shown inFigs. 7 and 10, and the-lower ends areprovided. with cord receiving portions 46 adapted to receive the endofan electrical cord connection 41. If desired, the blades-may beprovided withcontact portions extendingfrom the plug; such as the, blade32, to provide a plug body having outwardly extending contact bladesopposite the cord lead connection.

The-use of the above-describedmethodof manufacture and assembly thusprovides a multiple service tap with an integral one-piece body ofresilient material, which is easy andeconomical to manufacture andassemble, the blades being firmly anchored in the various slots whichare designed to eliminate danger of short-circuiting and arcing, and.the tap. being readily adapted to different types of: multiple servicetap forms. While in the illustrated forms, the blades are permanentlyanchored in the cube tap body by the interlocking action of the tangs orlugs 35 and blades 26; however, if desired, additional lugs or tangs maybe struck from the surface of the blades in a manner similar to the lugs35 for imbedding into the body of the cube tap to provide additionalanchoring means. Moreover, the use of a resilient tap body ensures abetter contacting engagement of the service plug, the entrance slot forthe service prong being restricted to permil? the p g b y to exert aresilient contacting and holding pressure on the contacting face of thetap prong.

While I have described specific embodiments of my invention and aspecific method for assembly, it is obvious that these are merelyillustrative, and that changes in the size and shape of the parts, inthe materials used for the parts, their relative arrangement, and in theassembly methods followed, may be made to suit the requirements fordifferent cube tap designs, without departing from the spirit and thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cube tap, a one-piece body of molded soft resilient materialhaving a plurality of transverse and vertical contact receiving slots,said vertical slots being in planes at right angles to said transverseslots, each vertical slot communicating with a complementary transverseslot, said transverse slots having integral abutments extending from theouter wall towards the inner walls of said slots, and contacts mountedwithin said slots, one face of each transverse contact being inelectrical and mechanical engagement with one edge of a vertical contactthroughthe communicating openings of said slots, said abutments beingadapted to maintain said transverse blades against the inner walls ofsaid transverse slots.

2. In a cube tap, a one-piece body of molded soft resilient materialhaving a plurality of transverse and vertical contact receiving slotsextending inwardly from the surfaces thereof and through said body, saidvertical slots being in planes at right angles to said transverse slots,each vertical slot communicating with a complementary transverse slot,said transverse slots having integral abutments extending from the outerwall towards the inner walls of said slots, and contacts mounted withinsaid slots, one face of each transverse contact being in electrical andmechanical engagement with one edge of a vertical contact through thecommunicating openings of said slots, said abutments being adapted tomaintain said transverse blades against the inner walls of saidtransverse slots.

3. In a cube tap, a one-piece body of molded soft resilient materialhaving a plurality of transverse and vertical contact receiving slots,said vertical slots being in planes at right angles to said transverseslots, each vertical slot communicating with a complementary transverseslot, said transverse slots having integral abutments extending fromthe'outer wall towards the inner walls of said slots, and contactsmounted Within said slots, one face of each transverse contact being inelectrical and mechanical engagement with one edge of a vertical contactthrough the communicating openings of said slots, one of said pairs ofslots being formed to join to provide a cord receiving passage, and apair of electrical conducting wires extending into said passage inelectrical conducting engagement with one pair of said contacts, saidabutments being adapted to maintain said transverse blades against theinner walls of said transverse slots.

4. In a cube tap, a one-piece body of molded soft resilient materialhaving a plurality of transverse and vertical contact receiving slots,said vertical slots being in planes at right angles to said transverseslots, each vertical slot communicating with a complementary transverseslot, and contacts mounted within said slots, one face of eachtransverse contact having recesses and one edge of each vertical contacthaving spaced lugs, said lugs entering said recesses to lock saidcontacts in electrical and mechanical engagement through thecommunicating openings of said slots.

WILLIAM P. HERMAN.

